FNA 209: The Drinking Labbe

Memorial Day weekend means higher bar volume. That's the perfect time to raise drink quality without slowing service. I'm at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino in the Velvet Lounge with mixologist Yelena Anter Cocktail Vision, making her Brain Teaser Margarita and talking through the real takeaway for hotels: build hashtag#cocktails that look premium, taste balanced, and give guests a reason to trade up. Westgate Resorts 🍉 Yelena builds a watermelon margarita off a familiar base so guests order it quickly 📸 She designs it to win the menu moment: name + photo that makes people say "I'll try that" 🧂 She uses a salt solution to brighten flavor and balance sweetness 🌿 She uses a watermelon + basil rim to add aroma and texture 🌼 She adds a buzz button tincture for a "super taster" twist guests remember 🍉 She finishes with a dehydrated watermelon cracker garnish that stays crisp and holds up in service Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from hashtag#NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Live experiences drive operating success because they create reasons to travel, reasons to spend, and reasons to come back. That's why Marriott Vacations Worldwide is building Inner Circle around them. I talked with Mike Flasky, President and COO of Marriott Vacations Worldwide, about what changes when the offer expands beyond the villa and into the full trip. 🎟️ Inner Circle launches June 22 and centers music, culinary, sports, and TV experiences 🎸 Launch example: a Lee Brice show in Orlando for about 300 owners 📊 Only about 6% of eligible North American households own vacation ownership today 🏨 The portfolio spans brands like Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, Westin, Sheraton, Marriott, and Hyatt Vacation Club, with about 700,000 owner families 💳 Points give flexibility: choose unit size, choose trip length, bank the difference, and use points for flights, cruises, or Marriott Bonvoy 📍 The development lens shifts toward markets with big distribution potential, with Nashville high on the radar Thanks to Actabl for supporting this episode. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Only 40% of hotel tech revenue-side professionals hit their full bonus target. Glenn Haussman and Dr. Producer Suzanne Bagnera talk with Ed Clark, Founder of Hospitality Tech Jobs, about his new salary + sentiment report and what it says about hiring, comp, and career paths in hotel tech. 📊 About 66% of hotel tech roles sit revenue-adjacent 🎯 Bonus reality: most people miss full target, so companies need more transparency on comp plans 👩‍💻 Sentiment gap: women score negative on NPS while men score positive 💵 Base pay matches; realized earnings diverge by about $15K 🧠 Practical job-hunting tip: do more than "click apply," and use a voice note to stand out Thanks to Actabl for supporting this episode. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

F1 week in Las Vegas turns a stay into a full itinerary, and Hilton Grand Vacations builds owner value around the full trip, not just the nights. I talked with Derek DeSalvia M.S. DeSalvia, EVP and Chief Customer Officer at Hilton Grand Vacations, at the ARDA Spring Conference about owner benefits beyond the property, multigenerational hashtag#travel, and how the trip stays seamless from booking through the experience. 🏎️ Derek uses F1 as the anchor example: build the week around one marquee event, then stack experiences on top 🎟️ The program adds value outside the resort stay through experiences and benefits 👂 Derek keeps the filter simple: listen to the customer and build what they want in that moment 🧳 Multigenerational travel drives the product: unit variety plus flexibility to book multiple units 🧩 Derek focuses on a connected journey so planning and in-market moments stay consistent Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed? Text HOTEL to 66866 for hashtag#NoVacancyNews.

Ryan Labbe owns and operates numerous restaurants in bars in Vegas including Rosina Cocktail Lounge at Venetian, voted one of the "best bars in Las Vegas" by Condé Nast Traveler. Glenn, Craig and Doctor Producer Suzanne ruin it all during tonight's weekend kickoff Happy Hour. How this

Travel + Leisure Co turns Margaritaville and Sports Illustrated into something owners feel after the trip ends: access, events, and reasons to come back. At the ARDA Spring Conference, I talked with Louis Acosta, SVP Sports, Entertainment, Event Marketing and Sales at Travel + Leisure Co, about how the company uses brand DNA to build demand—and why that matters when budgets tighten. 🏝️ Margaritaville Vacation Club leans hard into the experience at Rio Mar, then points to Orlando as the next move 🏟️ Sports Illustrated Resorts uses sports + culinary events to keep the brand "alive," not just visible 🎟️ The strategy centers on access you can't buy off the shelf, then turns that into loyalty 🚗 Prepaid ownership keeps travel plans intact, especially for drive-to trips Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed? Text HOTEL to 66866 for #NoVacancyNews.

More than 40% of Westgate's new timeshare buyers are millennials. I talked with Jared Saft, COO of Westgate Resorts, at ARDA's Spring Conference in Las Vegas about why younger buyers want space, kitchens, and togetherness—and how Westgate drives demand with differentiated experiences. 👥 Buyer shift: Jared says millennials make up 40%+ of new buyers 🏠 Product fit: kitchens, multiple bedrooms, multiple TVs, and space for groups 🎢 Experience strategy: Chuck E. Cheese, a mystery fun house theme park, and a Florida dude ranch with glamping 🏟️ Group demand matters: Westgate fills slower quarters with convention guests who want extra space and meeting access 🤝 Vegas partnership: Westgate SuperBook powered by Caesars Sportsbook Thanks to Actabl for supporting this episode. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Luxury guests feel the difference in the details, and procurement decides many of those details. I talked with Denis Klurfeld, SVP of Procurement for Luxury & Lifestyle at Accor, about how procurement shapes the luxury guest experience, balances standards with local authenticity, and protects long-term owner value. 🛏️ He treats sleep as non-negotiable because it anchors the brand promise 🍽️ He gives properties more flexibility in culinary and amenities so hotels keep local authenticity 🧩 He builds frameworks instead of constraints: standards build trust, local choices build memories 💰 He evaluates decisions through total cost of ownership: durability, lifecycle, maintenance, and guest perception ♻️ He weights sustainability heavily in procurement decisions (30%+ of the scorecard) 🤝 He designs with operations so hotels can execute in the real world Thanks to Entegra for supporting this episode. Visit EntegraPS.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed? Text HOTEL to 66866 for #NoVacancyNews.

During the recently held AAHOACON, I talked with Andrew Russo from AAHOA and Tony Hodgins, Regional General Manager with Legends Global, which operates the Pennsylvania Convention Center, about their digital signage partnership with Xpodigital. 🖥️ Revenue share puts the screens in place without upfront capital, then pays out from sold sponsor inventory ⏱️ AAHOA added a sponsor two days before the show and still got them on the screens 🚶 Screens drive foot traffic by placing sponsor brands at key entry points 🧑‍💻 Zachary Italian from Xpodigital stays on site full-time to support execution and keep updates moving If your hotel has conference space (or you run a venue), you can create the same sponsor inventory and revenue-share opportunity. Message me and I'll connect you. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed? Text HOTEL to 66866 for #NoVacancyNews.

Jason Gamel, President and CEO of ARDA, says vacation ownership holds up because owners lock in costs and plan differently than hotel-only travelers. I talked with Jason at ARDA's spring conference in Las Vegas about tech, buyer trends, and what investors should watch in timeshare right now. 🤖 Jason says the conference puts a big spotlight on tech and where different companies sit in their AI journey 🧳 My "oh wow" moment: more space and a kitchen changes the entire trip for groups and families 📈 Jason points to strong occupancy, including a Marriott Vacations Worldwide outlook of 90%+ occupancy 👥 Jason says Gen Z and millennials make up 73% of new purchasers 🧾 ARDA starts an insurance captive to help tackle maintenance-fee pressure 🏗️ He sees mixed-use growth: hotel + timeshare + residential, plus hotel conversions in markets like Nashville and New York Thanks to Actabl for supporting this episode. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.